Gawler River flood awareness and preparedness
The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) has partnered with the Gawler River Floodplain Management Authority and SA State Emergency Service (SA SES) to develop flood awareness and preparedness materials for the Gawler River region.
Jointly funded by the South Australian government, project partners, and the Australian Government’s Disaster Ready Fund, this initiative aims to improve community resilience to flooding.
The Gawler River floods on average once every ten years, with the most recent flood in 2016 causing an estimated $51 million in losses to agricultural businesses and significant damage to infrastructure.
Despite this, recent community research commissioned by DEW has shown that community awareness and preparedness is generally low, with only 10% of participants reporting they have a written flood plan.
The flood awareness and preparedness materials developed as part of this project will build on the existing DEW, SA SES and Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) resources to inform and support the community to be better prepared for future floods.
View the 2025 Gawler River flood awareness and preparedness - project overview (pdf).
Project updates
Are you a member of the Gawler River community? We want to learn about your knowledge of flooding in the region and how you prepare.
During late July and mid-August 2025, stakeholder engagement specialist Strategic Matters will conduct focus groups and workshops at various locations in the Gawler River region. These sessions will aim to reach a wide range of community members and groups.
Community feedback will ensure the flood awareness and preparedness materials will effectively:
- Raise awareness of flood risk in the Gawler River area
- Support understanding of SA SES and BOM flood messages and warnings
- Encourage action and preparedness using existing SA SES tools
To participate, please email your name and contact details to Strategic Matters at gawlerriverengagement@gmail.com.
